Plant Hill Arts College

Infobox UK school
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name = Plant Hill Arts College


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motto = Your Passport to Success
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established = 1960's
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closed =
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type = Secondary school
and Arts College
religion =
president =
head_label = Headteacher
head = John Pemberton
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specialist =
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city = Blackley
Manchester
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country = England
LEA = Manchester City Council
ofsted = 105559
staff =
enrollment = 822 students
gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 16
houses =
colours = Navy Blue & Gold
publication =
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website = http://www.schools-online.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/SchoolWebs.woa/1/wo/7F4trLTKkpxVcMvk3FRRL0/0.11.0.4.3.0.1.0?15,9
website_name = www.schools-online.co.uk/planthill

Plant Hill Arts College – Blackley, Manchester

Formally Plant Hill High School, Plant Hill Arts College is an 11-16 community school, serving boys and girls predominately from the Blackley area of North Manchester. There are approximately 880 pupils on roll. The school is in close proximity to the M60 motorway affording it excellent links, by road, to a wide area. It is also well served by public transport.

Plant Hill as a Specialist Arts College

In September 2005 Plant Hill High School was awarded specialist status and became Plant Hill Arts College. This is already having a huge impact on student learning by enhancing the curriculum, with additional provision in
*Performing Arts – music, drama, dance, media studies
*Visual Art – fine art, 3D art, painting and drawing
*Media Arts – ICT, E-media

Exam results

In the last 4 years the school has made significant improvement in its Key Stage 4 exam results, with a 95% increase in the number of students achieving 5 or more A* - C GCSE grades. This has been achieved through steady and continuous improvement. Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A* - C

*2002 18%
*2003 28%
*2004 31%
*2005 35%
*2006 44% "Target"

[http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/105/105559.pdf Ofsted Report]

School facilities

In the last 4 years, £4million has been invested into Plant Hill Arts College. Facilities now include:
*A new purpose built sports hall
*A new music and drama suite
*A swimming pool
*5 new MFL rooms
*New learning support rooms for pupils with special needs
*7 Science rooms, 4 of which are new
*6 refurbished Technology rooms, including new textile and food rooms
*5 refurbished Humanities rooms
*4 new computer rooms
*New library and study centre
*New careers base
*New pastoral base
*2 refurbished Visual Arts Rooms

Development Plans

The next 4-5 years promises to be an extremely exciting time with the funding recently secured for a brand new build school on the existing site. The estimated start date for building to begin is 2007 with the new site to be operational by the 2009/10 academic year. This will boast state of the art facilities in all areas and will undoubtedly enhance every aspect of school life. As part of the plans, Plant Hill school in Blackley will be backed by The Co-operative Group and the school will be renamed Co-operative Academy.

Recent Controversy

Refusing to re-admit a former pupil

Plant Hill refusing to re-admit a former pupil who they claimed was too far behind in his GCSE studies to catch up. Council education bosses looked urgently at finding alternative tuition for the schoolboy 15, who had been sat at home for five months, despite insisting he wants to return to school. The LEA had ordered Plant Hill Arts College to admit the schoolboy after he was refused entry, but the school appealed to the Secretary of State Alan Johnson, who decided against forcing them to comply. [ [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/18/18912_plight_of_the_children_left_without_a_school.html Plight of the children left without a school - News - Manchester Evening News ] ]

"Happy Slapping" Attack

A schoolgirl of 16 years old was attacked in Blackley and was left unconscious in a vicious "happy slapping" attack. on 9 May 2005. Footage of the attack was circulated on pupils' mobile phones.

The child's angry mother contacted national and local journalists in response to her daughters attack. The Childs mother commented that Plant Hill High had not taken tough action, even though the attack was a series of bullying incidents she had reported to the school. A request for an assembly to confiscate the mobile phones had been refused. At the time of going to national and local press, Plant Hill High School had refused to comment. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4563419.stm BBC NEWS | England | Manchester | Mother rages at 'slap attackers' ] ]

Notable former pupils"'

* Hasney Aljofree - A Professional Footballer, currently with Swindon Town. (2007 - present).

* Graham Brookes - A Model for the famous UGLY Model Agency, appeared in covers of magazines he as created a niche for itself in supplying advertisers with a face that is not traditionally beautiful to front standed campaigns.

* Mamoon Latif - A Trained Actor, various TV and theatre credits include 'Blue Murder' and 'In Celebration’.

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4563419.stm BBC News- Mother rages at 'slap attackers']

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/159/159294_happy_slap_thugs_caught_on_camera.html MEN - Happy Slap thugs caught on camera]

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/18/18912_plight_of_the_children_left_without_a_school.html MEN - Plight of the children left without a school]

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/159/159471_school_in_happy_slap_row.html MEN - School in 'happy slap' row]
* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/30/30593_liver_failure_tragedy_of_girl_14.html MEN - Liver failure tragedy of girl, 14]

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/51/51649_young_victim_of_driver_with_no_licence.html MEN - Young victim of driver with no licence]

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/33/33506_teenage_hitrun_thug_named.html MEN - Former Pupil left a little boy lying critically injured in a gutter as he terrorised a community]

* [http://www.advicenators.com/qview.php?q=345669 * advicenators.com - Effects of school bullying on adult life. "story from a former pupil in the 1960/70's"]

* [http://www.middletonguardian.co.uk/news/s/202/202303_happy_slap_head_hits_back_.html Middleton Guardian - Happy slap’ head hits back ]
* [http://www.middletonguardian.co.uk/news/s/230/230356_prom_night__plant_hill_arts_college.htmlMiddleton Guardian- Year 11 - 2007 Prom Night]

* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/education/s/1053373_closure_threat_to_40_schoolsMEN - Closure threat to 40 schools]
* [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/education/s/1044926_1m_for_heads_before_schools_openMEN - £1m for heads before schools open]

* [http://www.thenews.coop/news/Credit%20unions/1351Co-operative News - Co-op schools are spreading nationwide]